VIDEOS
- Rainwater can clog up plant pores, hence plants have different adaptations to counteract this:
grooves, drain-like structures to drain off water
dense hairs to keep pores clear
- Proboscis monkeys eat leaves
- Insects have the ability to digest cellulose
- Giraffes and Acacia tree
- Plants have adaptations to protect themselves from predators/eat their prey:
nettles have painful stings constructed with silica and water which release poison into the wound. dogweed is found next to nettles and is used to treat nettle wounds
non-sting nettles find protection in mimicry as they have striking resemblance
pebble plant camouflages by changing colour to match surroundings, looks like pebbles, protected from the star tortoise
passion plant has yellow spots which mimic butterfly eggs so that butterflies do not lay eggs there and no caterpillars do not eat up the leaves
bracken is toxic and rampant on hills –> animals which eat it go blind or get cancer. serious problem in Europe as this fern has no predator and is a fire hazard due to its dryness –> getting out of control!
mimosa: one touch makes it fold, 2nd touch makes the stalk fall, bend toward ground, droop, 3rd drop droop completely
venus flytrap: hairs on surface act as triggers – struggling triggers plant to squeeze tighter –> produce acids to digest insects
pitcher plant has nectar which attracts insects, is covered with microscopic spines – insects fall into pond of water inside and drown. sometimes frogs 'hang' inside plant to wait for insects
BIOMASS
- any animal or plant produce
- everything starts with sun –> photosynthesis
- corn can be turned into ethanol – car can run on ethanol, vegetable oil can be converted to diesel for vehicles, supposed to be more environmentally friendly – drive up the price of corn –> a lot of money generated for the state, country, people, farmers
- capture sunlight to produce renewable (arguable) energy source
- has support from government
- food prices all go up SUN Photosynthesis Biofuel: diesel, ethanol, biodiesel, bioethanol, biofuel Food: corn –> sugar –> corn syrup (add enzymes to starch), rape seeds, soy, oil palm (Asia), sunflower
- feed for one year = 1 gallon of diesel
- highly controversial!
QuEsTiOnS:
1. Are we addicted to oil?
2. Is technology the solution to this addiction?
VIDEOS
- Rainwater can clog up plant pores, hence plants have different adaptations to counteract this:
- grooves, drain-like structures to drain off water
- dense hairs to keep pores clear
- Proboscis monkeys eat leaves- Insects have the ability to digest cellulose
- Giraffes and Acacia tree
- Plants have adaptations to protect themselves from predators/eat their prey:
BIOMASS
- any animal or plant produce
- everything starts with sun –> photosynthesis
- corn can be turned into ethanol – car can run on ethanol, vegetable oil can be converted to diesel for vehicles, supposed to be more environmentally friendly – drive up the price of corn –> a lot of money generated for the state, country, people, farmers
- capture sunlight to produce renewable (arguable) energy source
- has support from government
- food prices all go up
SUN
Photosynthesis
Biofuel: diesel, ethanol, biodiesel, bioethanol, biofuel
Food: corn –> sugar –> corn syrup (add enzymes to starch), rape seeds, soy, oil palm (Asia), sunflower
- feed for one year = 1 gallon of diesel
- highly controversial!
QuEsTiOnS:
1. Are we addicted to oil?
2. Is technology the solution to this addiction?